Quick Links:

Overview

A school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) must have a principal designated school official (PDSO) for each campus listed on the Form I-17. The school can have as many designated school officials (DSO) as needed to manage the F or M program(s). PDSOs and DSOs must be approved by SEVP and are the only people at the school authorized to use the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

PDSO an/or DSOs cannot share their SEVIS log in information or log into the system on behalf of another user.

PDSOs can do everything a DSO can do, but they also have additional duties, such as ensuring the school’s Form I-17 accurately lists the school’s officials. PDSOs update the Form I-17 to:

Add School Official

Before adding a DSO to a Form I-17, it is important to determine whether the person is a new official or an existing official. This determination affects the process slightly.

Type of Official

Implications

New Official

This is someone who has never been an authorized PDSO an/or DSO and/or Responsible Officer (RO)/Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) in SEVIS, even at another school.

SEVP must adjudicate this addition to the Form I-17.

You must submit:

Signed Form I-17

Proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency (LPR) of the new PDSO an/or DSOs

Copy of court ordered document granting the name change, if the name on the citizenship/LPR documents differ from the name entered in SEVIS

Following adjudication, SEVIS will email the new official with:

SEVIS user name

Instructions for creating a password and accessing SEVIS

Existing Official

This is someone who is or has been a PDSO, DSO, RO, or ARO at another school or sponsor

If the person is not listed on a Form I-17 or Form DS-3036 at another school or sponsor when he or she is added to the Form I-17, SEVP must approve the addition.

If the person is an active user in SEVIS, when added to the Form I‑17, SEVIS immediately accepts the change. The new official will have immediate access to the new school in SEVIS. However, you must still submit:

Properly signed Form I-17

Proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency (LPR) for each new PDSO an/or DSO

Copy of court ordered document granting the name change, if the name on the citizenship/LPR documents differ from the name entered in SEVIS

New official will keep his or her SEVIS user name.

SEVIS will notify the new DSO of the new role at the school.

If the existing official cannot remember his or her previous SEVIS user name, add the person as a new official.

If the new DSO is also a RO or ARO for an Exchange Visitor Program, he or she will be able to access both J and F/M SEVIS with a single logon.

Process at a Glance: Add School Official

Step

Description

1

PDSO adds school official to Form I-17, as either a new official or existing official.

2

PDSO assigns DSO role for each instructional site the official will serve.

3

PDSO edits official’s role assignment, if the official will serve as a PDSO at one or more instructional site.

4

PDSO edits the official’s information, if needed.

5

PDSO and new official sign the Form I-17.

6

PDSO scans and uploads the signed Form I-17 and supporting evidence to SEVP.

Proof of U.S. Citizenship/Lawful Permanent Residency Status

When adding someone to your school’s Form I-17 as a DSO or PDSO, submit documents establishing their status as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR):

Status of Official

Acceptable Document(s)

U.S. Citizen

U.S. passport or passport card (can be expired)

U.S. birth certificate

Naturalization or Citizenship Certificate

Note: Officials only need to provide one of the documents listed above to prove U.S. citizenship.

Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR)

Unexpired Alien Registration Card

If the name on their citizenship/LPR documents does not match the name to be used in SEVIS, also submit copies of legal documents; such as, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, or court orders; showing the legal name change.

Note: This cannot be an email address that is shared with other people.

This is a required field.

Telephone Number*

Enter the new official’s work telephone number.\

This is a required field.

Assign Role*

Click the checkbox(es) to assign the new official to one or more campuses.

This is a required field.

7. Click Add. The Update School Information (Form I-17),School Official page opens with the new official listed.

The PDSO must attest to and submit the Form I-17 before the DSO addition is completed. See the Submit Form I-17 Update School Officials section for further instructions on completing the submission process.

Add Existing Official

To add an existing school official:

Go to the Update School Information (Form I-17), School Officials page. (Refer to Add New Official, Steps 1-4, for navigation instructions.)

4. Verify the existing school official’s information to assure this is the official you want to add.

SEVIS displays the official’s current information in SEVIS. If the information reflects contact information at another school, you can edit the information after adding them to your school. See Update School Official’s Informationfor instructions on updating an official’s information.

Select the appropriate checkbox(es) for the campus(es) the official will be assigned to.

Choose one of the following:

Cancel: Returns the user to theSchool Officials page without adding the new official.

Submit: Adds the official to the Form I-17 and returns the user to the Update School Information (Form I-17),School Officials page. The newly added official is listed on the School Officials page.

The PDSO must attest to and submit the Form I-17 before the DSO addition is completed. See Submit Addition of School Officials with Form I-17 in this document for directions.

Submit Form I-17 Update School Officials

Only the PDSO is authorized to submit Form I-17 changes to SEVP.

After updating the school officials, the PDSO clicks Next or Submit to open the submission page, Edit School Information (Form I-17).

Other function buttons at the bottom of the Update School Information (Form I-17), School Officials page include:

Save Draft: Saves changes made to the Form I-17 in draft without submitting changes.

Print Draft: Prints a draft Form I-17 without submitting changes.

Previous: Returns the user to Page 5: Campuses and Instructional Site without submitting changes.

Next: Forwards the user to the Submit page.

Cancel: Cancels all changes made to the Form I-17 without saving the entered changes and restores the previous, saved values. After confirming the delete action, SEVIS returns to the School Contact page.

Notification of New Officials

Once the new PDSO an/or DSO request has been processed by SEVP, SEVIS sends the new official two emails:

First email: Provides the SEVIS user name assigned to the individual.

Second email: Provides instructions for creating the initial password. It also includes the SEVIS password standards, and a unique link created specifically for that official to create a password in SEVIS.

If the new official does not access SEVIS within 30 days of receiving the two emails from SEVIS, he/she will have to contact the SEVIS Help Desk to have their password reset.

1. When the official clicks the link in the email, the Welcome to the SEVIS System page opens.

2. The official enters his or her user name and creates a password.

3. The first time a new school official logs in to SEVIS, the School Official Compliance Agreement page opens.

4. The new school official clicks I Agree to acknowledge compliance with DHS regulations.

Add/Delete/Update School Officials When the Form I-17 is Locked or the PDSO is NOT Available

Adjudicated changes to school officials cannot be made to the Form I-17, if one of the following scenarios occurs:

Form I-17 is locked because of a pending update or pending Recertification.

Signed Form I-17, or an explanation of why the school could not print or does not have access to the Form I-17. The head of school should sign the Form I-17.

List the school name and the school code in the Subject line of the email.

SEVP will review the email and supporting documents.

Assign or Reassign Campus Roles

Use this process to change the role of officials at individual campuses of your school without removing them as an official at your school. These changes are not adjudicated by SEVP and take effect immediately. School officials will notice the reassignments when they next log in to SEVIS.

Examples:

Current PDSO takes maternity or paternity leave and another DSO at the school will serve as acting PDSO until the new parent returns.

PDSO leaves the school and current DSO takes over as PDSO.

DSO or PDSO is reassigned to another campus.

Note: Each campus on the Form I-17 must have one PDSO. This person may be a PDSO at multiple campuses. A school can have an unlimited number of DSOs per campus. However, SEVIS will print a maximum of thirty officials per campus.

Limitation on the printed Form I-17:

SEVIS will only print up to 30 school officials per campus on the Form I-17.

If more officials are needed, contact SEVP.

To assign or reassign campus roles:

1. Go to the School Officials page of the Form I-17 [Page 6: School Officials].

The Roles link is only available if the Current School Officials table is sorted by Campus. The Roles linkis not visible when the table is sorted by Official’s Name.

2. Click the Roles link for the campus where the official’s role is to be changed. The Update Roles modal opens.

Every official must be assigned at least one role at one campus listed on the application. If an official is not assigned a role, you cannot submit these changes to the form. Every campus must have one PDSO.

3. Select the role for the official.

4. Click Submit. The School Officials page opens again with the official’s role changed in the Roles column.

5. Click Next. The Submit page opens

The PDSO must attest to and submit the Form I-17 before the new DSO addition is completed. See the Submit Form I-17 Update School Officials section for further instructions on completing the submission process.

Update School Official's Information

Use this process to update information about a school official. This process does not require SEVP adjudication, unless you are updating the first and/or last name of a PDSO an/or DSO. When the PDSO attests to and submits the non-adjudicated changes on the Submit page, the update is effective immediately, and the Form I-17 remains unlocked.

To update a school official:

1. Go to the Update School Information (Form I-17), School Officials page of the Form I-17 [Page 6: School Officials].

2.Click the official’s name. The Update Official page opens.

3. Update the information, as needed.

4. Click Update. The School Officials page reopens.

5. Click Next. The Submit page opens.

The PDSO must attest to and submit the Form I-17 before the new DSO addition is completed. See the Submit Form I-17 Update School Officials section for further instructions on completing the submission process.

Delete School Official

Use this process to remove an official from all of the school’s campuses on the Form I-17. The deleted official will lose SEVIS access upon submission. This process does not require SEVP adjudication. The Form I-17 remains unlocked.

Deleting a school official is a non-adjudicated field and process. Therefore, a PDSO can delete a school official while the Form I-17 is locked for an update. The school official will be deleted and lose SEVIS access to all campuses for that school upon the PDSO attestation and the Form I-17 submission.

Do not use this process if the official is being removed from a role at one campus, but still needs SEVIS access for another campus. In this instance, simply reassign campus roles.

To delete a school official:

1. Go to the School Officials page of the Form I-17 [Page 6: School Officials].

2.Click Delete Official to the right of the official you want to delete. The Delete Official page opens.

3.Click Submit. SEVIS no longer displays the official on the School Officials page.

Although the official is no longer listed on the School Officials page, the official does not lose SEVIS access until the Form I-17 is submitted.

The PDSO must attest to and submit the Form I-17 before the new DSO addition is completed. See the Submit Form I-17 Update School Officials section for further instructions on completing the submission process.